Dylan Raiola was yet to play his first rep for Nebraska when the quarterback startled his fans. Back in 2024, he stepped into the Cornhuskers’ fall camp channeling a look that made fans wonder, ‘What’s Mahomes doing here?’ Same Oakley glasses, same broccoli hairstyle. Naturally, Raiola played for No. 15, the same as the NFL star. Now in Oregon, he finally breaks free from the Mahomes narrative. 

“QB Dylan Raiola will wear #8 for Oregon 🦆” reported Oregon Updates. “Was #15 at Nebraska.”

The Raiola-Mahomes comparison picked up during the Cornhuskers training camp on July 31, 2024. The buzz began when a photo of Raiola popped up on X, featuring him sporting a goatee that instantly reminded fans of Mahomes. Moments after Dylan Raiola delivered his first touchdown pass for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football, the Kansas City Chiefs star himself revved up the hype by quoting the highlight on X. 

“Lil cuzzo!!” Mahomes wrote in the caption. 

Raiola had to let go of Mahomes’ No. 15 jersey after two years of the Mahomes narrative following him like a shadow. Back then, it called for enough criticism. 

Against Northern Iowa, back in September, Raiola doubled down on the Mahomes vibes, sporting a sleeve on his right arm, a long wristband on the left, and a short undershirt popping from the shoulder pads. The towel screamed Mahomes’ energy. He even copied Mahomes’ signature pregame hype by running to the end zone, taking a leap, and shouting to fire himself up. It did not sit well with an NFL reporter.

“I’m sorry you can’t copy everything a NFL player does, from his pregame routine, walk, haircut, throwing motion, number, hand signals, the list goes on and on … and then say I’m my own guy and I have my own last name,” James Palmer wrote on X. “You are the one that created all of this. So bizarre.”

But at least Raiola could lessen the burden, even a bit, by giving up Mahomes’ jersey number. However, he still suits up for a number that carries heavy importance in Eugene. The No. 8 jersey was worn by former Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota. 

In addition to Raiola, quarterback Akili Smith Jr. also swapped his jersey number. According to the reports, he has switched his jersey number from 15 to 11. Was it easy for Dylan to give up the much-coveted No. 15?

Dylan Raiola revealed the truth behind his jersey No. 15

A few months into Nebraska, Raiola had to take a stand for himself. While he enjoyed soaking in the hype of being Mahomes’ doppelganger, he clarified the reason behind choosing the No. 15 jersey. 

“No, I wore 15 in my first year of football, actually Tim Tebow,” the quarterback said. “A strong Christian person. He played football at Florida, and I look up to people who have moral character and are a good person. He was that guy at the time. I kind of went away from it and went to 1, and it felt better to be at 15, honestly.”

Now that Raiola steps into Dan Lanning’s squad, changing his jersey number might hint at deleting the past and starting things fresh. 

Before a broken fibula against the USC Trojans football ended his season on Nov. 1, the sophomore quarterback Raiola had the Cornhuskers football rolling with a 6-3 record in his starts. Across nine games, he went 181-for-250 for 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns. He sat fourth in the nation in completion percentage (72.4%). Months later, as he suits up for a new program, he is showing steady progress health-wise.

“He was able to practice with us today,” Lanning dropped an update. “We’re being conscientious of where he’s at as he comes back, but he’s pushing. And it’s new for him.”

Now, with the big burden of jersey No. 15 off his shoulders, can Dylan Raiola prove himself in a big way at Oregon?